Zhou You's principle was: saving people was fine, but he couldn't let himself get dragged into it. Helping people was the same: helping was fine, but he couldn't let it exhaust him too much.
In the end, Zhou You gave his mom a suggestion: "If you think it's too much trouble, just let Dad handle it. After all, it's the Zhou family's business."
Zhou Bencheng had no idea he'd been thrown under the bus by his son. Even if he found out, Zhou You wouldn't care—this whole thing was basically Zhou Bencheng's idea anyway.
Li Fengying's brow lit up at Zhou You's words. "Yeah, it's the Zhou family's business. Why should I worry so much? I'll just handle the money. If it gets too much, I won't even bother with that—I'll just toss it all to your dad."
"Fine, you two figure it out. I don't have time to deal with it—I've got teaching to do!" Zhou You said shamelessly.
Today was just a quick visit for a field survey. Professor Li and the students hadn't even brought a change of clothes, so they'd have to head back with Zhou You later. They agreed to come back after refining the details further, and then they might stay for extended periods occasionally.
The trip back was completely different from the trip there. On the way there, the students were mostly curious. Now, Li Baoyin and the students were buzzing with excitement. Not only was there money to be made, but there was also a chance to churn out papers. Where else could you find a deal like that?
A few students chatted privately.
"I don't think Teacher Zhou is that old, but how is he so impressive?"
"Didn't you hear the teacher? Teacher Zhou is a professor at Luzhou University, just graduated with a master's."
"The way he talked about salaries at the meeting was damn cool. If only we could stay long-term—that'd cover my living expenses," said a student in plain clothes.
"Yeah, if you could stay here long-term, you'd not only cover expenses but also make money. This salary is higher than a lot of office jobs."
Some of the students came from decent families, while others had to work part-time to get by. For those who needed the money, this opportunity was a no-brainer.
But it was still early days. Even if they wanted to come, they'd have to wait until next time. Maybe they'd ask the teacher for permission then—the student hoping for part-time work thought to himself.
On the way back, Zhou You kept spinning them stories.
"Not to mention anything else, from now on, we'll eat our own food—chicken, duck, goose, fish, meat, eggs, all organic. If you're interning there, you'll get first dibs. What do you call that? Optimizing the product," Zhou You rambled on.
But he wasn't wrong. What chef doesn't taste their own cooking first?
It was only later that people stopped eating what they made, pushing it all out to society to harm others. Little did they know everyone was thinking the same thing, ending up hurting each other.
Back at school, Zhou You put all those worries out of his mind.
It was much more comfortable to offer timely help without having to lift a finger. The money would come rolling in later.
Good thing he had the self-awareness not to start a business—otherwise, he'd be dead tired.
After returning to school, he spent a few leisurely days. Aside from teaching, he just went swimming and read books.
Several times at the pool, he saw Wang Pengfei practicing swimming and couldn't help but laugh.
That kid used to be a total landlubber. After days of practice, his form was still off, and he'd occasionally choke on water.
Wang Ping was furious. "Same parents, how can two siblings be so different? Fangfang might not have achieved much, but making it to the provincial swim team shows some talent. But look at her brother—no talent at all."
Wang Pengfei had no comeback. He just kept practicing alone. He wasn't competing or aiming for results anyway—couldn't he at least learn to swim? If he still couldn't get it, it proved the coach was the problem. Otherwise, why wouldn't other students seek him out?
Zhou You chuckled to himself, watching the kid like he was some stubborn fool. He had a real one-track mind.
In just half an hour, the kid had swallowed three mouthfuls of water, coughing and sputtering with snot and tears streaming down his face. But he refused to get out, just soaking in the water, determined to make up for his lack of talent with hard work.
No talent? Work harder to compensate!
Just as Zhou You was laughing to himself, Wang Fangfang showed up.
She was fuming and couldn't help but pinch Zhou You.
"Don't be mad, don't be mad. He's just a kid. Give him ten days or half a month, and he'll get it. There's no one around anyway, so let him practice. Once he learns, he can teach over summer break. If all else fails, he can go into admin. What's there to worry about?" That was why Zhou You was laughing—if one thing didn't work, just do something else. What was the fear?
That was the confidence money brought. No need to worry about going hungry.
Wang Fangfang had been busy lately too. She had to personally teach the management of two new swimming pools. The original staff were just coaches, with no experience in operations or management.
Wang Ping and Wang Fangfang each took charge of one, handling the training and mentoring.
Now, the pool was nearly empty, with only Wang Pengfei splashing around.
Seeing Wang Fangfang in her white swimsuit, her face shifting between anger and joy, Zhou You felt a surge of desire.
He grabbed her and pulled her into the women's changing room next door.
The whole room was empty, no one around, but the heating was blasting—central heating from the hotel.
Wang Fangfang was feeling it too. Neither of them had ever done it here before.
The empty room made the echoes especially loud.
They were after thrills, not to make a spectacle of themselves.
Five hundred words omitted here.
After cleaning up, they walked back out.
Wang Pengfei had only managed two laps.
Wang Ping had no idea what they'd been up to. "You two missed it. That kid Wang Pengfei almost drowned in the deep end. He flailed around and got back up on his own. Too bad you weren't here to see it."
Wang Fangfang rolled her eyes at him. "Brother Ping, want me to spill all your embarrassing stories from the swim team?"
"Don't, don't, Sister Fangfang, I'm sorry. I swear, I'll teach your brother to swim within a week. I'll turn that landlubber into a water rat."
Even though they were siblings, they had to keep their distance now that they were older. Otherwise, Wang Fangfang would have taught him herself.
Ever since buying the house, Wang Fangfang had grown more clingy and obedient to Zhou You. Her heart was practically glued to him.
Seeing Zhou You a bit tired, she made him lie down on a lounge chair and gave him a massage to relax.
...
Just a few days after the New Year, Sun Li left for the capital.
Before she left, Zhou You transferred her another 200,000 for daily expenses.
A few days earlier, she'd called Zhou You, saying she hadn't studied in years and found it tough now. She wasn't sure she could stick with it and asked him to come comfort her when he had time.
But Zhou You was busy then and told her to hold on, teasing, "Is it that you can't function without me injecting some energy?"
Who knew she'd fire back, saying the energy was too little and the dose wasn't enough.
How could Zhou You let that slide?
Besides, he had business in the capital anyway. Xu Zheng had started reaching out, asking when he'd arrive. He could kill two birds with one stone.
Please keep reading, please recommend, please bookmark. I'd also like to see the scenery of the third round of recommendations.
Thanks to all the big shots.